The Big Picture examines what it is to be human and how this is manifested in personal activities, relationships and wider society. This blog uses historical and current events to illustrate principles discovered in the course of working on a Taxonomy of Human Elements in Endeavour (THEE). Its range of topics touches on items distributed amongst the social sciences. Post material currently covers politics, communication, managing achievement, social interaction and more.

We all go about things in our own way, right? We’re all individuals expressing ourselves uniquely, and the way we act or react depends greatly on our individual personalities and internal processes and methods.

Most of the time, let’s say even the vast majority of the time, like 99% of the time, our own way works just fine for us. We get through life—how we interact with others, how we make decisions, how we respond to our social environments—just famously.

However, something important must be acknowledged: If I work in my own way, that means everybody else works in their own way as well! And I simply can’t get through life without other people. Check out a previous blog, Other People, for an in-depth discussion of this blatantly obvious fact.

I’ve discussed interacting with others for benefit in previous blogs. Now I am turning to Deciding and Achieving. What THEE illustrates is that, in general, there are seven basic methods for deciding and achieving. Let’s take a look at the imaginist, from the inside and out.

Inside the Imaginist

An organization, in its essence, is composed entirely of people. The buildings, the desks, the equipment are all secondary because all of it is useless without people.

And what are people? Creative, emotional beings that want fulfillment and a sense of worth. When people are given the freedom and encouragement to be creative and innovative, an organization will see the best of them in action.

It is far too often that people, the most fundamentally important aspect of any endeavor, are ignored, lost in procedure or the pursuit of an objective.

We must allow people to express themselves, to share their feelings, concerns, worries, and dreams. Through this, they will develop a deep commitment to a goal and the goals of an organization.

When people are committed to the goals of the organization, they are driven, creative, and fulfilled when achievement occurs.

Who is this?

If you feel that you relate to this person, you might be an imaginist.

You are the quintessential people person. You can be charismatic and may gain the deepest and most meaningful relationships with those with whom you deal with.

You tend to view abstractions like “the self,” inner-states, and “the heart” as more important than that which we deal with in physical reality. Achievement and decision for you comes in ethereal and informal ways.

You might do well in a human resources department or as a counselor or coach where the focus is on a person’s aspirations and feelings.

Outside the Imaginist

It is entirely possible that you are reading this with a certain amount of distaste. But imaginist deciding and achieving is only one of the seven approaches to deciding and achieving.

If you aren’t an imaginist type of decision-maker, well you handle decisions in some other way that you are convinced is generally best. And how you view this preoccupation with problems, facts and best solutions will be dependent on that.

For example:

An empiricist might view the imaginist take on deciding and achieving as follows: “The real issue is information. Facts are devoid of feelings. Emotions and human interest often distorts the truth.”

A structuralist might think: “People are tools of an organization, nothing more. If their “feelings” get in the way of them doing their job, we can always find someone else.”

The rationalist might say: “Aspirations are certainly important, but you’ve got to make them clear and ground them in the real world so they are relevant for the project or organization.”

Imaginist deciding and achieving can be incredibly important for those big life decisions like deciding on a career or who you will spend your life with. These decisions must come from deep within a person.

We all go about things in our own way, right? We’re all individuals expressing ourselves uniquely, and the way we act or react depends greatly on our individual personalities and internal processes and methods.

Most of the time, let’s say even the vast majority of the time, like 99% of the time, our own way works just fine for us. We get through life—how we interact with others, how we make decisions, how we respond to our social environments—just famously.

However, something important must be acknowledged: If I work in my own way, that means everybody else works in their own way as well! And I simply can’t get through life without other people. Check out a previous blog, Other People, for an in-depth discussion of this blatantly obvious fact.

An organization should be a series of roles, duties, or posts. Really, it’s less about people and more about function. Individuals hold posts with a specific job to do and necessary authority and sufficient autonomy to complete that job.

Each person is one piece in an intricate puzzle designed to function in a specific manner and achieve a specific goal. Everyone is a part of a hierarchy with recourse to someone higher in the chain of command that will hold them accountable to their duties.

This way, people know what is expected of them and they know how to go about doing it. If they can’t perform their tasks, you simply replace them with someone who can.

Organizations must be systematically managed and staffed with people of the right capability and the necessary expertise to deliver the mission efficiently. Frankly, anything else is just chaos.

You work well when your job description is clear and laid-out in front of you like a map to achievement. You are among the many people who work well in a structured, hierarchical environment where there are clear pathways to advancement and promotions.

You like things to run smoothly and you like knowing what to expect. You are efficient and on schedule.

You would probably do well in a government agency or the military where your hard work, adherence to policy and procedure, and dogged efforts would be noticed and appreciated.

Outside the Structuralist

If you’re reading this and thinking: “No, this is certainly not me,” don’t fear.

Structuralism is but one of the seven Decision Approaches.

If you aren’t a structuralist type of decision-maker, well you handle decisions in some other way that you are convinced is generally best. And how you view this preoccupation with problems, facts and best solutions will be dependent on that.

For example:

An imaginist might think of the structuralist: “There is no room in this system for human creativity and ingenuity. People are secondary, reduced to numbers on a roll sheet. Individuals will eventually feel stifled and constrained.”

A systemicist might think: “Your rigidity will eventually be your downfall. What happens to your policies and procedures when the environment within which they operate changes?”

A pragmatist would possibly muse: “The perfect solution or action could be staring these people in the face and they would have to ignore it in favor of some pre-established policy.”

It is important to realize that structuralist methods work very well for many people and many organizations. It is common amongst CEOs. You will likely run into a structuralist in one or many of your endeavors within an organization. It’s good to know how they operate so you can work well with them.

We all go about things in our own way, right? We’re all individuals expressing ourselves uniquely, and the way we act or react depends greatly on our individual personalities and internal processes and methods.

Most of the time, let’s say even the vast majority of the time, like 99% of the time, our own way works just fine for us. We get through life—how we interact with others, how we make decisions, how we respond to our social environments—just famously.

However, something important must be acknowledged: If I work in my own way, that means everybody else works in their own way as well! And I simply can’t get through life without other people. Check out a previous blog, Other People, for an in-depth discussion of this blatantly obvious fact.

The only way to achieve is to know what you want, know how you’re going to go about it, set goals and objectives , and determine what you expect to happen as a result of your actions. It is imperative that you are specific, detailed, and clear.

Anything else is a recipe for failure.

We all want things: make more money, make an impact, advance in our careers, land that big account, etc. Great! How are you going to do it? If you don’t make that clear, don’t expect to get anywhere at all. Anything else is just blind fumbling, hoping that success happens to fall in your lap.

Progress must happen in a structured environment or loose ends and individual agendas will dominate the conversation and halt forward movement. Heed the old saying: “Measure twice, cut once.”

You’re a bastion of clarity amidst the chaos. You’re the go-to person for creating a clear picture when others can’t see a path ahead of them. While others are flinging ideas into the ether, you’re the one providing a method for actually achieving them in a rational, logical, step-by-step, if not sometimes, idealistic fashion, which is quite useful indeed.

You inspire others to take focused action and get things done.

You’d make a great corporate planner or consultant and you are best suited in a well-structured and stable situation.

Outside the Rationalist

If this doesn’t sound like you, you probably operate using one of the other six methods for deciding and achieving.

If you aren’t a rationalist when it comes to deciding and achieving, well, you handle decisions in some other way that you are convinced is generally best. And how you view the rationalist preoccupation with problems, facts and best solutions will be dependent on that.

For example:

A pragmatist might look to a rationalist and think: “All your plans amount to occupied shelf space and no real action. You’ve got to just jump on a good opportunity when it’s there for the taking.”

An imaginist might wonder: “Where are the ethereal, but essential elements of productivity like inspiration, commitment, and creativity?”

A systemicist might ask: “Things change. Is there room in your plan for the infinite number of outside factors that could affect every step of the process? Maybe even the ultimate goal will change over time and as more information is discovered. We cannot be so rigid.”

The rationalist approach is incredibly valuable in some situations and it would do us all a bit of good to learn to use it when appropriate. Setting goals and objectives and expectations is a great way for anyone to more fully understand the paths they choose to walk.

Furthermore, it is good to understand the rationalist. They are highly sought-after and chances are, a rationalist originally outlined many of your endeavors.

We all go about things in our own way, right? We’re all individuals expressing ourselves uniquely, and the way we act or react depends greatly on our individual personalities and internal processes and methods.

Most of the time, let’s say even the vast majority of the time, like 99% of the time, our own way works just fine for us. We get through life—how we interact with others, how we make decisions, how we respond to our social environments—just famously.

However, something important must be acknowledged: If I work in my own way, that means everybody else works in their own way as well! And I simply can’t get through life without other people. Check out a previous blog, Other People, for an in-depth discussion of this blatantly obvious fact.

Information is the greatest tool available to mankind. It was information, the knowledge of cause and effect and the knowledge of how things work that brought the human species out of the realm of mindless animal to the elevated state he now finds himself in.

The universe is a puzzle and information the pieces. When the pieces fall into place, all becomes clear. Decisions make themselves and a course of action can be easily plotted to achieve any goal and find success in any endeavor.

The world is full of people making decisions on hunches and instinct. Ha! That’s a recipe for disaster if there ever was one. Without the proper information, you’re rolling the dice and you’re probably just wrong.

Success is 99% research and 1% action, and action is the easiest part when the decision is properly researched and the decider is properly informed.

There is no room for disagreements, emotion, corruption, or self-interest when the facts are in. Why bother with anything else?

Who is this?

If you identify with this, you’re probably an empiricist when it comes to deciding and achieving.

You’re great at problem solving and getting down to brass tacks. You work well in highly structured environments and delight in finding the perfect solution to an objective, real-world problem. You are precise and detailed. You might view your pragmatic managers like Sir Francis Bacon, the father or the scientific method, who said:

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”
Information surely is needed and blindly rushing into any decision or situation without it is unwise. We can only effectively handle what we know, the rest is just instinct. But your way really isn’t the only way. In fact, it’s one of 7 Decision Approaches.

Outside of the Empiricist

If you aren’t a problem-focused empiricist type of decision-maker, well you handle decisions in some other way that you are convinced is generally best. And how you view this preoccupation with problems, facts and best solutions will be dependent on that.

For example:

A pragmatist might say that, while an empiricist Is holed-up in his laboratory researching, the world passes him by and nothing of value actually happens and no action is taken.

A systemicist might say that the empiricist ignores important factors outside of “the facts” like changing social conditions, prevailing viewpoints, and an organization’s evolution.

A dialectic decision maker might say that facts and figures are irrelevant in the face of the strongly-held viewpoints of individuals and groups.

It’s important to realize that we all would do well to use empirical decision-making methods from time to time. Sometimes, doing a little research and getting the facts straight will go a long way in making a good, informed decision.

That’s why, if this isn’t you, it’s still good to understand the empiricist. Besides, you’ll occasionally run into an empiricist in your personal or professional life and getting their way of doing things will be helpful.

We all go about things in our own way, right? We’re all individuals expressing ourselves uniquely, and the way we act or react depends greatly on our individual personalities and internal processes and methods.

Most of the time, let’s say even the vast majority of the time, like 99% of the time, our own way works just fine for us. We get through life—how we interact with others, how we make decisions, how we respond to our social environments—just famously.

However, something important must be acknowledged: If I work in my own way, that means everybody else works in their own way as well! And I simply can’t get through life without other people. Check out a previous blog, "Other People," for an in-depth discussion of this blatantly obvious fact.

Well, the only way to do that is to actually do something. At work, I can’t sit around and wait for human resources to draft a report about the impact every decision I will make will have on the staff. I can’t wait around for the research department to analyze every possible outcome, talking about their “inputs” and “outputs” and all of their “facts.” Because all that amounts to in the end is waiting around.

I’ve got to do what works. I’ve got to jump on a good opportunity when I see it. When the iron is hot, strike!

Yes, sometimes things don’t work out, but that’s all part of the process. You’ve got to let a thousand flowers bloom.

You’re riding the wave of the social forces that surround you, picking choice opportunities out of the chaos, anything to get you incrementally closer to your goals. You’re a powerhouse when others are wallowing in indecision and the big picture is unclear. You’re the one that makes things happen, and happen immediately.

You’re quick on the uptake, ready for action in the clutch, and invaluable in a crisis.

You might make a great politician, whose job is to make quick decisions, convince others to go along with their ideas, and produce a result of some kind.

Outside of the pragmatist

If you’re reading this and thinking: “No, this is certainly not me,” don’t fear.

Pragmatism is but one of the seven Decision Approaches.

If you aren’t a pragmatic type of decision-maker, well you handle decisions in some other way that you are convinced is generally best. And how you view this preoccupation with problems, facts and best solutions will be dependent on that.

For example:

Empiricists might look at a pragmatist and think: “You haven’t got nearly enough information to be making any decisions.”

An imaginist might look to a pragmatist and think: “You’re ignoring the elements of commitment, aspiration, creativity, and sensitivity, in terms of people, in decision making.”

A rationalist might see a pragmatist and action and wonder: “How does this fellow operate in such a chaotic way and with so little long-term clarity?”

It’s important to remember that we all have to use pragmatic thinking from time to time. Sometimes, something needs a decision and action immediately and there is no time for formal reports, all the facts, or a summit regarding all of the opposing viewpoints.

That’s why, if this isn’t you, it’s still good to understand the pragmatist. Besides, you probably have to deal with a pragmatist every day—at work or school or in your family—and isn’t it better to understand them?

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About Me

Tom Kershaw

Hi! I'm Tom and I am a full-time writer, musician, and father to a firecracker of a four year-old. My wife and I lease our house and cars from her in hopes that her considerable talents of mess-making, princess-impersonation, and stuffed animal-whispering will pay off and fund our eventual retirement in the south of France.